"Despite no immediate danger, we have to remove all hidden perils," said Zhang Yuanyi, director-general of Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Communications.

The news comes just days after a viaduct, part of a new road project in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, collapsed injuring 19 workers.

Zhang said Guangdong has 4,244 bridges which are not strong enough. He said this could cause future accidents.

These account for about 20 per cent of the province's 18,000 bridges above the Pearl River Delta.

In addition to efforts to attract central and provincial government investment, Zhang said his bureau will also seek foreign financial support to help raise funds to carry out the work.

Meanwhile, all the money raised from road and bridge tolls will be used for the refurbishment programme, he said.

Zhang blamed bridge problems on such things as poor design, shoddy building work, excessive sand digging from river beds and the use of inferior materials.

To continue Guangdong's economic growth, the province is hoping an improved highway network, which includes bridge reconstruction, will help.

Guangdong plans to spend more than 114.5 billion yuan (US$13.8 billion) completing its road network during the 10th Five-Year Plan period (2001-05).

The money will be spent mainly on building an extra 5,000 km of roads to link up the province's existing network.

"The move is aimed at making transport facilities better serve the province's fast economic growth and to strengthen economic ties with Hong Kong, Macao and the rest of the country," Zhang said.

By the end of 2005, Guangdong will have more than 102,000 km of roads, including over 5,000 km of motorways, he added.

Every 100 square km of Guangdong will eventually have 57.3 km of road, making the province the leader in highway construction.

Top priority will be given to building roads such as the one between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, the second phase of the Shenzhen-Yanba Expressway and the Guangdong section of the Zhanjiang-Chongqing Highway.

(China Daily 12/01/2000)